Repartition Your Galaxy S II for More App or Media Storage

Say what you will about the inherent inconveniences in /data/media devices, but they also have their advantages. While USB Mass Storage mode is generally considered to be more power user friendly with direct disk operations and more reliable for large data transfers, MTP devices allow for a single /data partition to handle both media and application storage. Having media and application storage both housed within one partition means that you can never run out of application storage space while having many gigs free on your internal SD card.

Older devices like the Samsung Galaxy S II generally use separate mount points for application and media storage. This can potentially lead to storage space problems for those with a disproportionately large number of installed apps or lots of media. Upon encountering the problem on his SGS2, XDA Senior Member metalgearhathaway decided to fix the problem by repartitioning his internal storage to free up additional application storage space at the expense of media storage. And rather than simply fixing the problem for himself, he also shared the solution on the forums.

The fix comes in the form of various PIT files containing new partition information that can be applied via Odin. There are several different PIT files available, allowing you to tailor your storage breakdown to your own needs. For example, if you have lots of apps but don’t need much in the way of media storage, you can allocate up to 12 gigs for apps. On the other hand, if you don’t have many apps and would rather have as much space for media, you can devote as little as 1 gig to apps.

Naturally, any repartition will carry significant inherent risk. Furthermore, you will obviously lose all data stored on your device. However, if you follow the steps properly, the rewards may well be worth the risk and hassle. Head over to the original thread to get started.